Manager, Counsel

WSP; Ephrata (Lancaster County); On-site; USD 106,000 - 158,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, dental, vision, disability, &

Life insurance

Retirement savings

Paid time off

Parental leave

Bereavement/voting/naturalization time

Job summary

WSP, a leading engineering and environmental consultancy, seeks a U.S.-based In-House Legal Counsel to support the North American Contracts COE. The role involves drafting, reviewing, negotiating and interpreting complex engineering and construction contracts across the U.S. and Canada.

Ideal candidates have 7+ years in-house or at a top law firm, with strong business acumen and mentoring ability. You will provide practical legal and contracting guidance, help shape contract strategy, and scale

Qualifications

• 7+ years drafting, reviewing, negotiating and interpreting contracts in engineering/construction sectors.
• Licensed to practice law in at least one U.S. state and in-house experience preferred.
• Experience supporting stakeholders across Canada and the United States.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic business and legal advice to project teams and stakeholders across North America.
• Review, draft, negotiate and interpret client contracts, NDAs, subcontracts, and related documents.
• Lead or support negotiations of complex agreements and manage contract risk.
• Mentor COE colleagues and contribute to contract templates and training materials.
• Support contract governance, templates, and CLM/AI tools adoption.

Skills

Contract drafting

Contract negotiation

Legal analysis

Communication skills

Mentoring

In-house experience

Cross-border coordination

Education

Juris Doctor (JD)

Tools

CLM systems

Microsoft 365

AI-driven tools

Job description

Description

This Opportunity

WSP's dynamic and multiple-award winning legal team is committed to providing world class legal services to our managers and consultants practicing in the field of engineering, environmental and construction services. WSP is currently seeking a U.S.-based In-House Legal Counsel to support WSP's North American Contracts Centre of Excellence (COE), with relevant experience gained from a top law firm or in-house environment and a strong legal background in one or more of the following areas: engineering/design, construction management, infrastructure, environmental, transportation, property, and energy-related contracting. This role will be supporting project teams and business stakeholders across Canada and the United States. As a team member, you will have opportunity to provide practical legal and business advice, help shape contract strategy and risk management practices at scale, and support the organization's legal and compliance needs as the COE continues to grow.

Effective communication skills, self-motivation and the ability to work independently within a collaborative, multidisciplinary team environment are essential. As a seasoned member of the COE, you have 7+ years of experience drafting, reviewing, negotiating, and interpreting engineering and construction contracts, procurement contracts, commercial agreements, and associated documents, with the judgment to provide rapid, practical legal advice.

We are seeking a motivated candidate with an excellent ability to grasp legal and business issues quickly, communicate well, and operate closely with project teams, Operations Managers, and business stakeholders. Equally important, the candidate must be willing and able to provide practical and constructive legal advice in a fast-paced, dynamic business environment, while mentoring colleagues, supporting consistent COE practices, and helping improve contracting processes across a renowned, multi-national engineering and consultancy company.

Your Impact

An overview of your role will include:

• Provide a strategic blend of business and legal advice to project teams, Operations Managers, and business stakeholders across Canada and the United States, with a practical, service-oriented COE approach
• Review, draft, negotiate, and interpret client contracts, RFP terms, teaming agreements, NDAs, subcontract instruments, service offers, and other contractual documents, identifying major requirements, responsible parties, scope, commercial terms, and legal and business risks
• Lead or support negotiations of consulting, engineering, construction, procurement, and other commercial agreements, escalating appropriately and helping project teams reach balanced, business-focused outcomes
• Conduct contract risk assessments and develop proactive, practical risk mitigation strategies that align with WSP’s authorization matrices, corporate policies, governance requirements, and applicable legal considerations
• Provide timely legal support on contract issues arising during the project lifecycle, including change management, claims, disputes, payment issues, and other matters requiring rapid practical advice
• Lead and support legal and contracts training for project teams and legal/contracts colleagues, including Contracts 101, Lessons Learned, Prompt Payment, and other practical training that builds contracting capability
• Provide leadership within the COE by mentoring colleagues, supporting consistent contract review practices, using CLM systems and AI-driven tools, improving templates and standard clauses, and helping identify and implement process and practice improvements to meet evolving business requirements
  

Who You Are

Required Qualifications

• 7+ years of related legal and contracting experience, including drafting, editing, reviewing, negotiating, and interpreting contracts, preferably in the engineering, infrastructure, environmental, transportation, energy, or commercial construction sectors.
• Working knowledge of common commercial models and compensation types, including CPFF, T&M, FFP, and other professional services contracting structures.
• Law degree from a recognized institution and membership in good standing with at least one U.S. state bar, with eligibility to provide in-house legal support consistent with applicable bar rules
• In-house or comparable experience working with a large, matrixed, international organization and supporting stakeholders across jurisdictions, including Canada and the United States
• An enthusiastic collaborator and practical advisor who works well with project teams, business stakeholders, and legal/contracts colleagues in a fast-paced environment
• Ability to provide sound, concise business and legal advice to all levels of the company, including the ability to simplify complex legal concepts for engineers, scientists, project managers, and business leaders
• Personable, critical thinker able to partner with Operations Managers, project teams, and business stakeholders while exercising sound legal judgment
• Driven to achieve excellent results and balanced, commercially reasonable negotiations for WSP, Operations, and clients
• Ability to work independently, manage competing priorities, and provide timely advice under time-pressured deadlines
• Experience with CLM systems, Microsoft 365 tools, and AI-driven technologies, with a willingness to help the COE use these tools responsibly and effectively
• Excellent and efficient problem-solving skills, with strong contract risk assessment, analytical, and issue-spotting capabilities.
• Excellent communication skills - must be able to coordinate between multiple departments, project teams, business stakeholders, and legal/contracts colleagues across North America.
• Ability to work independently, take initiative, set priorities, see projects through completion, and help improve contracting processes, templates, standard clauses, and practical guidance materials.
• Strong business acumen, excellent judgment, and the ability to mentor and train others without overstating the scope of the L1 Manager, Counsel role

WSP Benefits:

WSP provides a comprehensive suite of benefits focused on a providing health and financial stability throughout the employee's career. These benefits include coverage related to medical, dental, vision, disability, and life; retirement savings; paid sick leave; paid vacation (or other personal time); paid parental leave; and paid time off for purposes of bereavement, voting, and/or attendance at naturalization proceedings.

Compensation:
Expected Salary (all locations): $106,100.00 - $157,500.00
WSP USA is providing the compensation range that the company in good faith believes it might pay and offer for this position, based on the successful applicant's education, experience, knowledge, skills, abilities in addition to internal equity and specific geographic location. WSP USA reserves the right to ultimately pay more or less than the posted range and offer additional benefits and other compensation, depending on circumstances not related to an applicant's sex or other status protected by local, state, and/or federal law.